KR101185647B1 - Method for fabricating display panel - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a display panel is disclosed. There is provided a lower substrate having a plurality of display regions thereon. Each display area is formed with a pixel array. Conductive adhesive is formed over the edge of each display area of the underlying substrate. A plurality of upper substrates is provided, each having a conductive layer and a display media layer formed thereon. Contact openings are formed in the respective upper substrates to expose each conductive layer on each upper substrate. The upper substrates are bonded to the display regions of the lower substrate, and the conductive adhesives on the lower substrate fill the contact openings of the upper substrates to electrically connect with the conductive layers. The edge seal is coated around the periphery of the upper substrates and the corresponding display regions. A cutting step is performed to form a plurality of display panels.

Description

Method for manufacturing display panel {METHOD FOR FABRICATING DISPLAY PANEL}

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a display panel, and more particularly, to a method for manufacturing a display panel having simplified steps.

The increasing development of display technologies brings great convenience to people's daily lives. As such, flat panel displays (FPDs) are becoming popular due to their lightweight and thin features. Recently, due to the advantages of various types of display technologies after continuous development, electrophoretic displays, liquid crystal displays, plasma displays, and organic light emitting diode displays ( Display devices such as organic light emitting diode displays are becoming commercially available and being applied to display devices having various sizes and areas. As the use of portable electronic devices increases, products such as e-papers (e-papers) and e-books (electronic books) are increasingly attracting market interest.

Generally speaking, small size display panels used for electronic papers and e-books are used to cut the large bottom substrate material and the large top substrate material into appropriate dimensions, respectively, and to form the display panel unit after the cutting step. It is usually manufactured by adhering the lower substrate and the upper substrate and then performing subsequent manufacturing steps on the display panel units to complete the display panels. In other words, existing fabrication methods employ a chip bonding process for the chip for the upper and lower substrates after cutting. Therefore, subsequent film bonding steps and packaging steps must be performed on the respective display panel units. As a result, the same manufacturing steps must be performed repeatedly in order to manufacture display panels. Therefore, the manufacturing time is extended and batch fabrication is not possible, so the costs cannot be further reduced.

Thus, the invention provides a method for manufacturing a display panel with simplified manufacturing steps.

The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a display panel comprising the following steps. A lower substrate having a plurality of display regions thereon is provided, and a pixel array is formed in each display region. Conductive adhesive is formed over the edges of respective display regions of the lower substrate. A plurality of top substrates is provided, each of which has a conductive layer and a display media layer formed thereon. A contact opening is formed in each of the upper substrates so that the conductive layer over the upper substrates is exposed. The upper substrates are respectively bonded to the display regions of the lower substrate, and the conductive adhesives on the lower substrate fill the contact openings of the upper substrates to electrically connect with the conductive layers. An edge sealant is coated around the periphery of the upper substrates and corresponding display regions, respectively. A cutting step is performed to form a plurality of display panels.

According to an embodiment of the invention, after coating the edge seal, the method further comprises respectively forming a driving device over the periphery of the respective display regions of the lower substrate. After forming the drive device, the method further includes forming a protective adhesive over the drive device.

According to an embodiment of the invention, prior to forming the conductive adhesive on the edges of respective display regions of the lower substrate, the method further comprises performing a testing step over the pixel array of the respective display regions. . After performing the testing step, the method further includes performing a cleaning step on the respective display areas.

According to an embodiment of the invention, adhering the upper substrates to the display regions of the lower substrate comprises the following steps. An adhesive layer is formed over the display regions of the underlying substrate, the adhesive layer being a pressure sensitive adhesive, a heat sensitive adhesive, a photo sensitive adhesive or a water based adhesive. )to be. The upper substrates are disposed above the adhesive layer of the display regions of the lower substrate. In addition, a laminating step is performed. After performing the laminating step, the method further comprises performing a baking step. After performing the baking step, the method further comprises performing a testing step.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the edge seal comprises a thermosetting adhesive, a photosensitive adhesive, or a photocurable adhesive.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the display medium layer comprises an electrochromic display medium layer, an electrophoretic display medium layer, or a cholesterol liquid crystal layer, and the electrophoretic display medium layer is a microcapsule type. type) electrophoretic display media layer or microcup type electrophoretic display media layer.

According to an embodiment of the invention, after adhering the upper substrates to the lower substrate, respectively, the method further comprises adhering the barrier layer to the upper substrates, respectively.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the step of adhering the upper substrates to the display regions of the lower substrate respectively comprises (a) adhering one of the upper substrates to one of the display regions of the lower substrate, and (b) each Repeating step (a) to sequentially adhere the upper substrates of the substrate to the corresponding display area of the lower substrate.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the step of adhering the upper substrates to the display regions of the lower substrate, respectively, comprises first placing the upper substrates on the upper vacuum device, placing the lower substrate on the lower vacuum device, and lowering the upper substrates. Aligning and pressing the upper vacuum device and the lower vacuum device to adhere to the display regions of the substrate.

According to an embodiment of the invention, after adhering the upper substrates to the lower substrate, respectively, the method includes disposing a plurality of barrier layers over the upper vacuum device, disposing the lower substrate over the lower vacuum device, and Aligning and forcing the upper vacuum device and the lower vacuum device to adhere to the upper substrates respectively disposed above the lower substrate.

According to an embodiment of the invention, after adhering the upper substrates to the lower substrate respectively and coating the edge sealant around the periphery of the upper substrates and the corresponding display regions, the method is carried out in order to cover the upper substrates and the edge sealant. Bonding the barrier layer over the lower substrate, and performing a cutting step over the barrier layer and the lower substrate to form display panels. After performing the cutting step, the method further comprises forming a drive device over the periphery of the respective display panels. After forming the drive device, the method further includes forming a protective adhesive over the drive device.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the lower substrate includes a support substrate and a flexible substrate disposed over the support substrate, and the pixel array is formed over the flexible substrate. After providing the lower substrate, a first cutting step is performed on the lower substrate to form a plurality of lower substrate units, each lower substrate unit having at least a display area thereon.

The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a display panel comprising the following steps. A lower substrate having a plurality of display regions thereon is provided, and a pixel array is formed in each of the display regions. The conductive adhesive is formed over the edge of each display area of the lower substrate. A plurality of top substrates is provided, each top substrate having a conductive layer and a display media layer formed thereon. Contact openings are formed in each of the upper substrates, exposing a conductive layer over the upper substrates. The upper substrates are respectively bonded to the display regions of the lower substrate, and the conductive adhesives on the lower substrate fill the contact openings of the upper substrates to electrically connect with the conductive layers. The barrier layer is coated over the entire bottom substrate. In order to cure the barrier layer on the respective display regions, a mask exposure step is performed on the barrier layer, and the barrier layer on the periphery of the respective display regions acts as an edge seal. A cutting step is performed to form a plurality of display panels.

According to an embodiment of the invention, adhering the upper substrates to the display regions of the lower substrate comprises first placing the upper substrates above the upper vacuum device, placing the lower substrate above the lower vacuum device, and placing the upper substrates on the lower substrate. Aligning and forcing the upper vacuum device and the lower vacuum device to adhere to display areas of the.

According to an embodiment of the invention, after performing the cutting step, the method further comprises forming a drive device over the periphery of the respective display panels. After forming the drive device, the method further includes forming a protective adhesive over the drive device.

In summary, a method for manufacturing a display panel according to embodiments of the invention includes adhering a plurality of upper substrates having conductive layers and media regenerators over display regions of the lower substrate. After subsequent manufacturing steps are successively performed on the lower substrate to which the plurality of upper substrates are bonded, a cutting step is performed to form the plurality of display panels. Therefore, before performing the cutting step for forming the display panels, one manufacturing step can simultaneously process the lower substrate to which the plurality of upper substrates are bonded, thereby saving manufacturing time and increasing capacity. .

It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed embodiments are exemplary, and together with the accompanying drawings serve to provide further explanation of the technical features and advantages of the present invention.

According to the present invention, a method for manufacturing a display panel having simplified manufacturing steps can be provided.

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
1 is a flowchart illustrating steps of a method of manufacturing a display panel according to a first embodiment of the invention.
2A to 2D are three-dimensional schematic views of a method of manufacturing a display panel according to a first embodiment of the invention.
3A to 3J are schematic cross-sectional views of a method of manufacturing a display panel according to a first embodiment of the invention.
4 is a flowchart illustrating steps in a method of manufacturing a display panel according to a second embodiment of the invention.
5A to 5D are schematic cross-sectional views of a method of manufacturing a display panel according to a second embodiment of the invention.
6 is a flowchart illustrating steps of a method of manufacturing a display panel according to a third embodiment of the invention.
7A to 7B are schematic cross-sectional views of a method of manufacturing a display panel according to a third embodiment of the invention.
8 is a flowchart illustrating steps in a method of manufacturing a display panel according to a fourth embodiment of the invention.
9A to 9B are three-dimensional schematic views of a method of manufacturing a display panel according to a fourth embodiment of the invention.
10 is a flowchart illustrating steps in a method of manufacturing a display panel according to a fifth embodiment of the invention.
11A to 11C are three-dimensional schematic views of a method of manufacturing a display panel according to a fifth embodiment of the invention.

According to embodiments of the invention, a method for manufacturing a display panel comprises first forming device array structures on a large sheet of a lower substrate, and then, a plurality of divided tops. And aligning and adhering the substrates to media players on the large sheet of the lower substrate, respectively. After testing and packaging steps are performed on the lower substrate bonded with the upper substrates, a cutting step is performed to form a plurality of display panels. The display panel manufacturing method according to embodiments of the present invention can simultaneously perform successive manufacturing steps on the upper substrates and the bonded lower substrate to complete the batch manufacturing of the display panels, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process and time Can save. According to different display media layers, the display panels produced by the process described above can be made as electrochromic display panels, electrophoretic display panels, or cholesterol liquid crystal display panels.

Embodiments of the invention are further described below using process flow diagrams supplemented by perspective or cross sectional views. It should be noted that the process described below is for the person skilled in the art to more clearly understand the order of bonding the upper and lower substrates and the cutting of the display panels. However, the following examples are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Anyone in the art may adjust the position, formation manner, and fabrication order of other components according to known fabrication techniques, so that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention.

1st Example

1 is a flowchart illustrating steps of a method of manufacturing a display panel according to a first embodiment of the invention. 2A to 2D are three-dimensional schematic views of a method of manufacturing a display panel according to a first embodiment of the invention. 3A to 3J are schematic cross-sectional views of a method of manufacturing a display panel according to a first embodiment of the invention.

1, 2A, and 3A, in step S102, a lower substrate 200 having a plurality of display regions 202 thereon is provided. In addition, pixel array 204 is formed in each of display regions 202. The lower substrate 200 is, for example, a rigid substrate such as a glass substrate or a flexible substrate such as a plastic substrate. In an embodiment of the invention, the pixel array 204 may include a plurality of active devices (eg, thin film transistors (TFTs)), a plurality of scan lines, a plurality of data lines, and a plurality of pixel electrodes. Include them. In order to facilitate the illustration of the embodiment, details of the foregoing components in the pixel array 204 illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 3A are omitted. However, those skilled in the art should understand the actual locations and functions of the omitted components. Accordingly, further description thereof is not repeated here. In addition, although the lower substrate 200 has a plurality of display regions 202 thereon for bonding the upper substrates and simultaneously performing subsequent steps on the upper substrates, in FIG. Display areas 202 are used as an example, and the invention does not limit the quantity of display areas 202.

In step S104, after completing the fabrication of the pixel array 204 on the lower substrate 200, a testing step may be selectively performed on the pixel array 204 of each of the display regions 202. The testing step identifies and identifies defects using, for example, an auto optic inspection (AOI) process or other suitable testing processes for inspecting the structure of the pixel array 204 on the underlying substrate 200. Thus, subsequent defect display panels are prevented from forming due to defects from the lower substrate 200.

In step S106, after completing the testing step of step S104, cleaning steps are selectively performed on the respective display regions 202 to completely remove the residues of particles and impurities, thus, Cleanliness during manufacturing can be improved and the quality of the display panels formed afterwards can be guaranteed.

1 and 3B, in step S108, a conductive adhesive 206 is formed over the edge of each of the display regions 202 of the lower substrate 200. The material of the conductive adhesive 206 is, for example, a silver paste or other conductive materials capable of transmitting signals from external drive circuitry to the electrodes on the substrate via the conductive adhesive 206. Conductive adhesive 206 may be formed by, for example, multi-pin dotting equipment for simultaneously forming conductive adhesive 206 over the edge of display regions 202. Although this embodiment illustratively illustrates forming conductive adhesive 206 over the edge of each of the display regions 202, it should be noted that the invention is not limited thereto. The location and quantity of the conductive adhesives 206 are not entirely limited by those described in this embodiment.

1 and 3C, a plurality of upper substrates 208 are provided in step S110. In addition, each of the upper substrates 208 has a conductive layer 210 and a display media layer 212 formed thereon. The upper substrates 208 are flexible substrates such as, for example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates or other suitable plastic substrates. The material of the conductive layer 210 may be a transparent conductive material for use as an electrode. The above-mentioned transparent conductive material may be, for example, indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), aluminum doped ZnO (AZO: Al doped ZnO), indium-gallium-zinc Indium-gallium-zinc oxide (IGZO), Ga doped zinc oxide (GZO), zinc-tin oxide (ZTO), In ₂ O ₃ , ZnO, or SnO ₂ to be. The display media layer 212 is, for example, an electrochromic display media layer, an electrophoretic display media layer, or a cholesterol liquid crystal layer. In addition, the electrophoretic display media layer can be a microcapsule type electrophoretic display media layer or a microcup type electrophoretic display media layer.

1 and 3D, in step S112, a contact opening 214 is formed in each of the upper substrates 208, so that the conductive layer 210 over each of the upper substrates 208. ) Is exposed. Note that the contact openings 214 of each of the upper substrates 208 are disposed to correspond to, for example, the conductive adhesive 206 on the edge of the respective display regions 202 above the lower substrate 200. Should be. Therefore, in this embodiment, contact openings 214 are disposed over the edges of the edges of the respective upper substrates 208.

Next, in order to form a plurality of display panels, the lower substrate 200 formed in step S108 and the upper substrates 208 formed in step S112 are assembled and assembled in other steps described in detail below. Is processed. 1, 2B and 3E, the upper substrates 208 are bonded to the display regions 202 of the lower substrate 200, respectively, and the conductive adhesives 206 on the lower substrate 200 Contact openings 214 of the upper substrates 208 are filled to electrically connect with the conductive layers 210. As shown in FIG. 3E, the contact openings 214 of the upper substrates 208 and the conductive adhesives 206 of the lower substrate 200 are arranged to correspond to each other, so that the upper substrates 208 are disposed on the lower substrate. When aligned to adhere to the 200, the conductive adhesives 206 fill the contact openings 214. Indeed, the conductive adhesives 206 can be further electrically connected with an external drive circuit (not shown) so that the signal of the external drive circuit is through the conductive adhesives 206 through the conductive layer of the upper substrates 208. Can be delivered to the field 210.

In an embodiment of the invention, adhering the upper substrates 208 to the display regions 202 of the lower substrate 200 may be implemented by the following steps. First, step S114a is performed to adhere one of the upper substrates 208 to one of the display regions 202 of the lower substrate 200. Next, in step S114b, step S114a is repeatedly performed to sequentially adhere each of the upper substrates 208 to the corresponding display area 202 of the lower substrate 200.

As shown in FIG. 3E, the adhesive layer 216 is formed over the display regions 202 of the lower substrate, and then the upper substrates over the adhesive layer 216 of the display regions 202 of the lower substrate. By placing 208 and performing a laminating step, the upper substrates 208 may be adhered to the display regions 202 of the lower substrate 200, respectively. The adhesive layer 216 is, for example, a pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA), a heat sensitive adhesive, a photo sensitive adhesive or a water based adhesive. In order to form a layer of adhesive material over the display regions 202 of the lower substrate, the adhesive layer 216 may be formed by bonding, coating or deposition.

Specifically, the laminating step described above uses a roller 218 to laminate the upper substrates 208 disposed over the adhesive layer 216 of the display regions 202 of the lower substrate 200, for example. )do. Also, depending on the different adhesive materials, a heating process or an irradiation process may optionally be performed to adhere the upper substrates 208 to the adhesive layer 216. In addition, the laminating step using the roller 218 may be performed using a direct roll scheme, a roll first then heat or irradiate scheme, or during heating or irradiation to achieve simultaneous adhesion. A roll while heat or irradiate scheme may be adopted. If the adhesive layer 216 is a PSA, the roller 218 may be used to laminate directly to bond the upper substrates 208 to the display regions of the lower substrates 200. If the adhesive layer 216 is a thermosensitive adhesive, the roller 218 can be used to directly laminate the upper substrates 208 and the lower substrate 200. Alternatively, a heating plate may be used to heat the lower substrate 200 before the roller 218 performs the laminating step. In addition, the roller 218 may perform a laminating step while the lower substrate 200 is heated to adhere each of the upper substrates 208 to the display regions 202 of the lower substrate 200. When using a thermosensitive adhesive as the adhesive layer 216, all the upper substrates 208 are first cold bonded to the display regions 202 of the lower substrate 200, and then by using the roller 218. It should be apparent that the upper substrates 208 can be laminated immediately to adhere the upper substrates 208 to the lower substrate 200. If the adhesive layer 216 is a photosensitive adhesive, the roller 218 may laminate each of the upper substrates 208 to the lower substrate 200 during irradiation. Alternatively, the roller 218 is first used to laminate all the upper substrates 208 to the lower substrate 200, and then one irradiation operation is performed so that the upper substrates 208 are lowered. It may be adhered to the display regions 202 of the substrate 200.

By adopting a sheet laminating step for a number of chips, a plurality of divided upper substrates 208 having conductive layers 210 and display layers 212 can display display regions of the lower substrate 200. 202 is bonded. At the same time, subsequent manufacturing steps are performed continuously on the lower substrate 200 to which the upper substrates 208 are bonded. Only then, the cutting step is performed to form a plurality of display panels. Therefore, prior to performing the cutting step to form the plurality of display panels, one manufacturing step may simultaneously process the lower substrate 200 to which the plurality of upper substrates 208 are attached, thus manufacturing The process can be simplified and enable batch production of a plurality of display panels.

Although the embodiment described above illustratively illustrates placing the plurality of upper substrates 208 over the adhesive layer 216 after forming the adhesive layer 216 over the display regions 202 of the lower substrate. It is worth noting that the invention is not limited to this. In another embodiment of the invention, an adhesive layer 216 may be formed over the upper substrates 208, and then, the upper substrates 208 having the adhesive layer 216 may be formed of the lower substrate 200. Each may be laminated over the display regions 202.

In addition, after performing the laminating step, a baking step may be optionally performed sequentially to remove excess moisture, so that the upper substrates 208 may be firmly adhered to the lower substrate 200. . After performing the baking step, the method further comprises performing a testing step. For example, when each of the top substrates 208 is bonded to the bottom substrate 200, the top substrates bonded to each other to ensure that each of the top substrates 208 are aligned to the corresponding display area 202. Electrical characteristics of the circuitry for the wires 208 and the lower substrate 200 are tested.

1 and 3F, in step S116, after the upper substrates 208 are respectively adhered to the lower substrate 200, additionally entering the display panels in which moisture and oxygen are subsequently formed. To prevent this, a barrier layer 220 may be selectively adhered to the upper substrates 208, respectively. In order to proceed with adhering the barrier layer 220 to the upper substrates 208, a process similar to the above-described process of laminating the upper substrates 208 to the display regions 202 of the lower substrate 200, respectively. Can be adopted. That is, roller 222 may be used to apply pressure to barrier layer 220 disposed over upper substrates 208 for lamination. The material of the barrier layer can be, for example, moisture and air resistant material, such as an organic or inorganic film, glass, or other moisture and air resistant materials. Organic materials are, for example, PET, polypropylene, polystyrene. The inorganic material may be, for example, metal oxide, metal nitride, metal oxynitride, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, silicon Carbide, silicon carbide oxide, or a combination thereof. The metal oxide may be, for example, AlO _x or TiO _x , although not limited thereto. In addition, the barrier layer 220 may be manufactured as an organic-inorganic hybrid.

Generally speaking, in order for light to pass through the barrier layer 220, a transparent material may be employed for the barrier layer 220. In an embodiment of the invention, after the upper substrates 208 are laminated with the barrier layer 220, an autoclave process is performed to remove air bubbles on the barrier layer 220 by applying pressure. Can be performed.

However, in another embodiment, the barrier layer 220 is pre-laminated on the upper substrates 208 before the upper substrates 208 are each bonded to the display regions 202 of the lower substrate 200. Next, it should be apparent that the upper substrates 208 having the barrier layer 220 are bonded to the lower substrate 200, respectively. Thus, after the upper substrates 208 are respectively adhered to the display regions 202 on the lower substrate 200, the upper substrates 208 also have a barrier layer 220 disposed thereon. Accordingly, the upper substrates 208 can similarly prevent entry of moisture and air.

1, 2C and 3G, in step S118, the upper substrate is sealed in order to seal gaps between each of the upper substrates 208 and the lower substrate 200 to prevent moisture and particles. An edge sealant 224 is coated around the periphery of the fields 208 and corresponding display regions 202. In an embodiment, the edge sealant may cover the barrier layer 220 and a portion of the lower substrate 200 in order to achieve a side protection effect by ensuring a tight seal at the boundary between the upper substrates 208 and the lower substrate. Can be. Edge seal 224 is, for example, a heat curing adhesive, a photosensitive adhesive, or a photo-curing adhesive.

More specifically, if the edge seal 224 is a thermosetting adhesive, the edge seal 224 is coated directly around all periphery of the upper substrates 208 and the corresponding display regions 202 and then in one baking process. An oven may be used to cure the edge seal 224. In addition, if the edge seal 224 is a thermosetting adhesive, the lower substrate 200 may be preheated, and at the same time, the edge seal 224 is coated, and the edge seal 224 is applied to the upper substrates 208 and After coating around all periphery of the corresponding display regions 202 it is baked together in an oven. When using a thermosetting adhesive as the edge seal 224, the lower substrate 200 can be directly heated, while at the same time the edge seal 224 is the periphery of the upper substrates 208 and the corresponding display regions 202. It should be apparent that the edge seal 224 can be cured at the same time, after contact with the circumferentially heated bottom substrate 200. In another aspect, if the edge seal 224 is a photosensitive adhesive, the edge seal 224 may be coated while irradiation curing occurs simultaneously. Alternatively, after the edge seal 224 has been coated around all of the periphery of the upper substrates 208 and the corresponding display regions 202, one irradiation process is performed to cure the edge seal 224. Can be. In addition, if the edge seal 224 is a photosensitive adhesive, the edge seal 224 may be coated during irradiation, so that the edge seals 224 around the periphery of the respective upper substrates 208 are each pre-cured. (pre-cure) After the coating of all edge seals 224 is complete, the entire assembly is sent to an oven for baking and curing. If the edge seal 224 is a photocurable adhesive, after the edge seal 224 is fully coated, one irradiation process pre-cures the edge seal 224, and then the entire assembly is sent to the oven to edge The seal 224 is cured and formed.

1 and 3H, in step S120, after the edge seal 224 is coated, the drive device 226 is respectively over the periphery of the respective display regions 202 of the lower substrate 202. Is formed. In an embodiment of the invention, the drive device 226 can include a drive circuit chip 226a and a circuit layer 226b. The driver circuit chip 226a is disposed on the lower substrate 200 over the periphery of the respective display regions 202. The circuit layer 226b is, for example, a flexible printed circuit (FPC) connected to the driving circuit chip 226a and an external circuit board (not shown), so that the electrical signal of the external circuit board is a circuit layer ( It may be transmitted to the driving circuit chip 226a through 226b, thereby controlling display panels formed thereafter. More specifically, the end of the circuit layer 226b may be bonded to the corresponding end of the drive circuit chip 226a by an anisotropic conductive film (ACF) or other adhesives. Another end of the circuit layer 226b may be similarly bonded to the corresponding end of the circuit board by ACF or other adhesives. The ACF may be a thermoset ACF, photosensitive ACF, or photocurable ACF, which may be cured and formed by different processes depending on the type. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize the applications and possible variations in accordance with the above embodiments, and thus the applications and possible variations are not described.

1 and 3I, in step S122, after forming the drive device 226, a protective adhesive 228 is formed over the drive device 226. The protective adhesive 228 may cover the periphery of the respective display regions 202 of the lower substrate 200, for example to cover and protect the bonding regions between the drive circuit chip 226a and the circuit layer 226b. Surround. In an embodiment, the protective adhesive may be a thermosetting adhesive, a photosensitive adhesive or a photocurable adhesive, and may be formed by a coating similar to the edge seal 224 in step S118. In addition, different processes may be performed depending on the type of protective adhesive 228, and thus, further description thereof is omitted herein. In addition, after forming the protective adhesive 228, an electrical property test may optionally be performed to ensure the quality of the display panels formed later.

1, 2D, and 3J, in step S124, a cutting step is performed to form the plurality of display panels 230. In order to form the display panels 230 having at least the lower substrate 200a and the upper substrates 208 attached to each other, the cutting step is, for example, an outer periphery of the respective driving devices 226. Using a scribing wheel, laser beam, or other cutting equipment to cut the lower substrate 200 along. In an embodiment, after completing the manufacture of the display panels 230, touch panels (not shown) or other films and devices may be used to complete the display devices with the required functions. It can be glued to the top.

The above-described steps S116 to S122 respectively adhere the barrier layer 220 onto the upper substrates 208, coat the edge seal 224, and drive devices (eg, before the cutting step S124). It should be noted that the examples of forming 226 and protective adhesive 228 are illustratively described. That is, the display panels 230 formed by step S124 already have not only the driving devices 226 but also the barrier layer 220 adhered to these panels. However, the invention is not limited to this. In another embodiment, after performing step S114b to adhere the upper substrates 208 to the lower substrate 200, the barrier layer 220, the edge seal 224, and the drive devices 226. And to form a plurality of display panels 230 without the protective adhesive 228, the cutting step of step S124 may be immediately performed. Next, steps S116 to S122 are performed sequentially to adhere the barrier layer 220 onto the upper substrates 208 of the respective display panels 230, and to coat the edge seal 224. Drive drives 226 and protective adhesive 228.

Second Example

4 is a flowchart illustrating steps in a method of manufacturing a display panel according to a second embodiment of the invention. 5A to 5D are schematic cross-sectional views of a method of manufacturing a display panel according to a second embodiment of the invention. 4 and 5a to 5d, the same steps and components as the steps and components of Figs. 1 and 3a to 3j are denoted by the same reference numerals and the related descriptions are omitted. Should be.

In this embodiment, the display panel manufacturing process shown in FIG. 4 is partially identical to the display panel manufacturing process shown in FIG. However, the difference between the two lies in the arrangement of the components in the underlying substrate. Specifically, the lower substrates used to form the display panels in the invention are not limited to the hard type substrates described in the first embodiment, and other flexible substrates may be used as the lower substrates of the display panels. .

4 and 5A, in step S402, a lower substrate 500 is provided that includes a support substrate 502 and a flexible substrate 504 disposed over the support substrate 502. In addition, the pixel array 204 is formed over the flexible substrate 504. In an embodiment, in order to attach the flexible substrate 504 over the support substrate 502, the lower substrate 500 further includes an adhesive layer 503 disposed between the support substrate 502 and the flexible substrate 504. . The material of the flexible substrate 504 may be an organic material or an inorganic material. After providing the lower substrate 500 (step S402), in step S404, a first cutting step is performed on the lower substrate 500 to form the plurality of lower substrate units 500a. Also, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, each of the lower substrate units 500a has at least a display area 202 thereon. In the present embodiment, the invention does not limit the quantity of the lower substrate units 500a, but the first cutting step divides the lower substrate 500 into four lower substrate units 500a. Subsequently, subsequent processing steps (eg, steps S104, S106 and S108 ′) are performed on the lower substrate units 500a using processes similar to those described in the first embodiment. Next, the plurality of upper substrates 208 are adhered to the display regions 202 of the lower substrate units 500a, respectively (eg, steps S114a 'and S114b'). In addition, subsequent manufacturing steps are performed to form a plurality of display panels.

Since each of the lower substrate units 500a includes a support substrate 502 and a flexible substrate 504, the flexible substrate 504 is removed from the support substrate 502 before completing the manufacture of the display panels (step ( S406) should be understood. As shown in FIG. 4, in the embodiment of the invention, the step S406 of removing the flexible substrate 504 from the support substrate 502 is performed before forming the driving devices (step S120 ′), or It can be performed after forming the drive devices and the protective adhesive (steps S120 'and S122). A scribing wheel, laser beam, or other cut that cuts along the outer edge of each display area 202 to remove the flexible substrate 504, adhesive layer 503, and support substrate 502 over the edges. The equipment removes the flexible substrate 504 from the support substrate 502, thereby separating the flexible substrate 504 and the support substrate 502 from each other. In addition, in order to protect the flexible substrate 504 after separating the flexible substrate 504 from the support substrate 502, an aluminum foil 506, a PET substrate, or a barrier layer 220 will be described. Moisture and air resistant materials, such as those which have been incorporated, may be selectively adhered to the backside of the flexible substrate 504 (eg, opposite the pixel array 202). Then, around the periphery of each flexible substrate 504 and the corresponding aluminum foil 506 to seal the gaps between each of the flexible substrates 504 and the aluminum foil 506 to prevent moisture and particles. Each edge seal 508 is coated.

Third Example

6 is a flowchart illustrating steps of a method of manufacturing a display panel according to a third embodiment of the invention. 7A to 7B are schematic cross-sectional views of a method of manufacturing a display panel according to a third embodiment of the invention. 6 and 7a to 7b, it is noted that the same steps and components as the steps and components of FIGS. 1 and 3a to 3j are denoted by the same reference numerals and the related descriptions are omitted. Should be.

In this embodiment, the display panel manufacturing process shown in FIG. 6 is partially identical to the display panel manufacturing process shown in FIG. However, the difference between the two lies in the assembly of the lower substrate formed by step S108 and the upper substrates 208 formed by step S112. In other words, the difference lies in bonding the upper substrates 208 to the display regions 202 of the lower substrate 200, respectively. More specifically, referring to FIGS. 6 and 7A, after performing the forming of the lower substrate 200 (S108) and the forming the upper substrates 208 (S112), first, the upper vacuum device Step S602 is performed by placing the plurality of upper substrates 208 over 702 and also placing the lower substrate 200 over the lower vacuum device 704. Next, in step S604, the upper vacuum device 702 and the lower vacuum device 704 are aligned to adhere the upper substrates 208 to the display regions 202 of the lower substrate 200. Is pressurized. It should be noted that by placing a plurality of upper substrates 208 over the upper vacuum device 702, multiple upper substrates 208 can be glued to the lower substrate 200 simultaneously. Therefore, multiple repeated bonding steps are not required to simultaneously attach all the upper substrates 208 to the corresponding display regions 202 of the lower substrate 200, thus simplifying the manufacturing process and manufacturing time. Can be reduced.

6 and 7B, after adhering the upper substrates 208 to the lower substrate 200, the barrier layer 220 may be selectively adhered to the upper substrates 208, respectively. First, performing step S606, placing the plurality of barrier layers 220 over the upper vacuum device 702, and attaching the upper substrates 208 to the lower vacuum device 704. By disposing the barrier layer 220, the barrier layer 220 may be bonded to the upper substrates 208. Next, in step S608, the upper vacuum device 702 and the lower vacuum device 704, in order to adhere the barrier layers 220 to the upper substrates 208 disposed above the lower substrate 200, respectively. Is aligned and pressurized. Similarly, by using vacuum devices, a plurality of top substrates 208 can be glued to the corresponding top substrates 208 simultaneously, thus further saving manufacturing time.

Fourth Example

8 is a flowchart illustrating steps in a method of manufacturing a display panel according to a fourth embodiment of the invention. 9A to 9B are three-dimensional schematic views of a method of manufacturing a display panel according to a fourth embodiment of the invention. 8 and 9A to 9B, it should be noted that the same steps and components as the steps and components in the above-described drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the descriptions thereof are omitted.

In this embodiment, the display panel manufacturing process shown in FIG. 8 is partially identical to the display panel manufacturing process shown in FIG. However, the difference between the two is in how the barrier layers are bonded to the upper substrates 208. More specifically, referring to FIGS. 8 and 9A, step S118 is performed immediately after step S604 is completed. That is, after adhering the upper substrates 208 to the lower substrates 200, and before adhering the barrier layers over the upper substrates 208, the edge seal 224 may be formed of the upper substrates 208 and It is coated around the periphery of the corresponding display regions 202. Next, in step S802, a large sheet of barrier layer 902 is adhered to the entire lower substrate 200 to cover the plurality of upper substrates 208 and the edge seal 224. .

In an embodiment, the large sheet of barrier layer 902 is, for example, a film or glass having moisture and air protection to adhere to the entire lower substrate 200.

Referring to FIG. 9B, in step S804, a cutting step is performed on the barrier layer 902 and the lower substrate 200 to form the plurality of display panels 904. In order to form the display panels 904, the cutting step may include, for example, a scribing wheel for cutting the barrier layer 902 and the lower substrate 200 along the periphery of the respective display regions 202; Use laser beams or other cutting equipment. As shown in FIG. 9B, after performing the cutting step, the portion of the barrier layer 902 covering the lower substrate 200 can be removed, so that the divided barrier layer 902a is still the upper substrate ( 208) as a whole. The portion of the underlying substrate 200 exposed by the divided barrier layer 902a is preferred for wire bonding the drive devices formed thereafter to the display panels 904.

In addition, after performing the cutting step to form the display panels 904, step S120 is performed to form a driving device over the periphery of the respective display panels 904. After forming the drive devices, in step S122 a protective adhesive is formed over the drive devices to complete a display panel structure similar to that shown in FIG. 3J.

In the fourth embodiment, the process of adhering the upper substrates 208 to the display regions 202 of the lower substrate 200 is not limited to the process shown in FIG. 8, and the vacuum devices are provided with a plurality of upper substrates. It should be apparent that the 208 is simultaneously bonded to the lower substrate 200. In another embodiment of the invention, the process described in the first embodiment can be adopted. That is, one of the upper substrates 208 is bonded to one of the display regions 202 of the lower substrate 200, and the process is repeated a number of times, so that each of the upper substrates 208 is formed of the lower substrate 200. Adhered to the corresponding display area 202 in sequence. However, the invention is not limited to any particular bonding process.

5th Example

10 is a flowchart illustrating steps in a method of manufacturing a display panel according to a fifth embodiment of the invention. 11A to 11C are three-dimensional schematic views of a method of manufacturing a display panel according to a fifth embodiment of the invention. In FIGS. 10 and 11A to 11C, it should be noted that the same steps and components as the steps and components in the above-described drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals and the related descriptions are omitted.

In the fifth embodiment, the display panel manufacturing process shown in FIG. 10 is partially identical to the display panel manufacturing process shown in FIG. However, the difference between the two is in how the barrier layers are bonded to the upper substrates 208. More specifically, referring to FIGS. 10 and 11A, after performing step S604, in step S1002, the barrier layer 1102 is coated over the entire lower substrate 200 and the plurality of upper substrates. (208). In an embodiment, the barrier layer 1102 is coated over the entire lower substrate 200, and then a curing step is performed to form the barrier layer 1102. The material of barrier layer 1102 is, for example, an inorganic material, an organic material, or a compound material of inorganic and organic materials. In addition, the material of the barrier layer 1102 may be a thermosetting material, a photosensitive material, or a photocurable material, and the material may be cured and formed by different processes depending on the type thereof. Those skilled in the art should readily recognize the applications and possible variations in accordance with the above embodiments, and thus the applications and possible variations are not described.

Next, referring to FIG. 11B, in step S1004, a mask exposure step is performed over the barrier layer 1102 to cure the barrier layer 1102 over the respective display regions 202. In an embodiment, the mask exposing step may use a shadow mask 1104 as a mask. The shadow mask 1104 has a plurality of openings for exposing the display regions 202, and the shadow mask 1104 shields an area between adjacent display regions 202, for example. After exposure by ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation, the barrier layer 1102 shielded by the shadow mask 1104 is not irradiated with UV light, so that the material of the barrier layer 1102 may be removed. . That is, after the mask exposure step, the material of the barrier layer 1102 between adjacent display regions 202 is removed, leaving a barrier layer 1102a covering the entire periphery of the respective upper substrates 208. It should be noted that the barrier layer 1102a with moisture and air protection functions covers the entire periphery of the respective top substrates 208 and the corresponding display regions 202. Therefore, the barrier layer 1102a covering the periphery of each display area 202 can act as an edge seal, thus surrounding the periphery of the upper substrates 208 and the corresponding display areas 202. The step of coating the edge sealant (eg, step S118 of FIG. 1) may be excluded.

Referring to FIG. 11C, in step S1006, a cutting step is formed to form the plurality of display panels 1106. Since the process illustrated in the above embodiment for the cutting step may be adopted, the related description will not be further illustrated here in detail. It is to be understood that since the barrier layer material between adjacent display regions 202 has been removed, the cutting step on the lower substrate 200 can be performed immediately. In addition, after performing the cutting step to form the display panels 1106, step S120 is performed to form a driving device over the periphery of the respective display panels 1106. After forming the drive devices, in step S122 a protective adhesive is formed over the drive devices to complete a display panel structure similar to that shown in FIG. 3J.

In the fifth embodiment, the process of adhering the upper substrates 208 to the display regions 202 of the lower substrate 200, respectively, is not limited to the process shown in FIG. 10, and the vacuum devices are provided with a plurality of upper substrates. 208 is simultaneously bonded to the lower substrate 200. In another embodiment of the invention, the process described in the first embodiment can be adopted. That is, one of the upper substrates 208 is bonded to one of the display regions 202 of the lower substrate 200, and the process is repeated a number of times, so that each of the upper substrates 208 is formed of the lower substrate 200. Adhered to the corresponding display area 202 in sequence. However, the invention is not limited to any particular bonding process.

In view of the foregoing, a method for manufacturing a display panel according to embodiments of the invention first comprises forming pixel arrays on a large sheet of a lower substrate, and a plurality of divided tops with conductive layers and media players. Bonding the substrates over the display regions of the lower substrate. After simultaneously performing subsequent manufacturing steps successively on the lower substrate to which the plurality of upper substrates are bonded, a cutting step is performed to form the plurality of display panels. Therefore, before performing the cutting step for forming the display panels, one manufacturing step can simultaneously process the lower substrate to which the plurality of upper substrates are bonded. As a result, the manufacturing process is simplified, and the display panels can be manufactured in batch.

In addition, the display panel manufacturing method according to embodiments of the invention can be applied to the production of different types of display panels and can be integrated with current manufacturing processes. The display panel manufacturing method is a simple manufacturing process that can efficiently save manufacturing time and increase capacity.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. In view of the foregoing, the invention is intended to cover such modifications and variations provided that they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims (22)

Providing a lower substrate having a plurality of display regions thereon, wherein a pixel array is formed in each display region;
Forming a conductive adhesive over an edge of each of the display regions of the lower substrate;
Providing a plurality of top substrates each having a conductive layer and a display media layer formed thereon;
Forming a contact opening in each of the upper substrates to expose a conductive layer over the upper substrates;
Bonding the upper substrates to the display regions of the lower substrate, respectively, and causing the conductive adhesive on the lower substrate to fill the contact openings of the upper substrates to electrically connect with the conductive layers; And
A method of manufacturing a display panel, the method comprising performing a cutting step to form a plurality of display panels. The method according to claim 1,
After adhering the upper substrates to the display regions of the lower substrate, further comprising coating an edge sealer around the periphery of the upper substrates and the corresponding display regions, respectively. . The method according to claim 2,
After coating the edge sealant, further comprising respectively forming a drive device on a periphery of each of the display regions of the lower substrate. The method according to claim 3,
After forming the drive device, further comprising forming a protective adhesive over the drive device. The method according to claim 1,
Prior to forming the conductive adhesive over an edge of each of the display regions of the lower substrate, performing a testing step on a pixel array of each of the display regions. The method according to claim 5,
After performing the testing step, further comprising performing a cleaning step on each of the display areas. The method according to claim 1,
Adhering the upper substrates to the display regions of the lower substrate,
Forming an adhesive layer over the display areas of the lower substrate, the adhesive layer being a pressure sensitive adhesive, a heat sensitive adhesive, a photo sensitive adhesive or a water based adhesive;
Disposing the upper substrates over the adhesive layer of the display regions of the lower substrate; And
A method for manufacturing a display panel, comprising performing a laminating step. The method of claim 7,
After performing the laminating step, further comprising performing a baking step. The method according to claim 8,
After performing the baking step, further comprising performing a testing step. The method according to claim 2,
Wherein the edge seal comprises a thermosetting adhesive, a photosensitive adhesive, or a photocurable adhesive. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the display media layer comprises an electrochromic display media layer, an electrophoretic display media layer, or a cholesterol liquid crystal layer. The method of claim 11,
Wherein said electrophoretic display media layer comprises a microcapsule type electrophoretic display media layer or a microcup type electrophoretic display media layer. The method according to claim 1,
After bonding the upper substrates to the lower substrate, respectively, further comprising adhering a barrier layer to the upper substrates, respectively. The method according to claim 1,
Adhering the upper substrates to the display regions of the lower substrate, respectively,
(a) adhering one of the upper substrates to one of the display regions of the lower substrate; And
(b) repeating step (a) to sequentially adhere each of the upper substrates to a corresponding display area of the lower substrate. The method according to claim 2,
Adhering the upper substrates to the display regions of the lower substrate, respectively,
First placing the upper substrates over an upper vacuum device;
Placing the bottom substrate over a bottom vacuum device; And
Aligning and pressing the upper vacuum device and the lower vacuum device to adhere the upper substrates to the display regions of the lower substrate. The method according to claim 15,
After adhering the upper substrates to the display regions of the lower substrate, respectively, the method further comprises:
Disposing a plurality of barrier layers over the upper vacuum device;
Placing the lower substrate over the lower vacuum device; And
Aligning and pressurizing the upper vacuum device and the lower vacuum device to adhere the barrier layers to the upper substrates disposed above the lower substrate, respectively. The method according to claim 15,
After adhering the upper substrates to the lower substrate, respectively, and coating an edge sealer around the periphery of the upper substrates and the corresponding display regions,
Adhering a barrier layer over the entire upper surface of the lower substrate to cover the upper substrates and the edge sealant; And
And performing the cutting step on the barrier layer and the lower substrate to form the display panels. 18. The method of claim 17,
After performing the cutting step, further comprising forming a drive device on a periphery of each of the display panels. 19. The method of claim 18,
After forming the drive device, further comprising forming a protective adhesive over the drive device. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the lower substrate comprises a support substrate and a flexible substrate disposed on the support substrate, and the pixel arrays are formed on the flexible substrate. The method of claim 20,
After providing the lower substrate, a first cutting step is performed on the lower substrate to form a plurality of lower substrate units, each of the lower substrate units having at least a display area thereon. Method for preparing the same. The method according to claim 1,
After adhering the upper substrates to the display regions of the lower substrate,
Coating a barrier layer over the entire upper surface of the lower substrate; And
Performing a mask exposure step on the barrier layer to cure the barrier layer on each of the display regions, wherein the barrier layer on the periphery of each of the display regions acts as an edge seal. , Method for manufacturing a display panel.

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